It was a modern take on an arranged marriage that was supposed to lead to my happily ever after. The rules were simple:

1. Marry a complete stranger chosen for you by professionals.

2. Live together as man and wife for eight weeks while cameras record your every move.

3. Make a decision to stay together or get a divorce.

Call me crazy, but I had complete faith in the process, until I saw who was waiting for me at the end of the aisle.

Austin James has never met me, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know him. With no other choice, I say my vows and pray I can make it through the next eight weeks. Then I’ll leave. What connects us is my best kept secret, and I’ll protect it at all costs even if that means walking away from the only person I’ve ever cared about.

A 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Review of HOPELESS VOWS by Rachael Duncan

By Amy at Pages Abound

As I began reading the Hopeless Vows, I was not sure whether this story would live up to the expectations I hold for novels. No, I was afraid this would simply fail as a copy of T.V. show. However, as I quickly learned, Rachael Duncan is not only a creative writer who can build strong and solid characters whose chemistry and passion explode off the page, but she is able to weave in to her work a level of humor, compassion, and real life hurt that twists and turns throughout the story, drawing in readers as they follow the unexpected trials and tribulations her characters each face.

What I loved most about this story was the devastation and betrayal that had to be forgiven in order for these characters to face life. From the beginning, these two characters show their personal strength–their willingness to fight for life in order to overcome the obstacles life handed them. When each was presented with a choice about how to live life, these characters both showed, time and again, that life is worth living and that one must choose to make the most of the life given.

Hopeless Vow is a must read that will leave you with a kind of book hangover you can’t wait to experience again. It is my belief that this work will quickly launch Rachael into a position where her name becomes more recognized and her stories more sought after.

Well done, Rachael! It was a pleasure to read this work!

“This is the first book I’ve read by Rachael Duncan, but it won’t be my last. I absolutely loved this book from start to finish.” – A.M. Madden, Amazon and Barnes & Noble Best Selling Romance Author

“I can’t rate Hopeless Vows high enough and I honestly feel like this will be Rachael’s breakthrough novel that will take her places and have her name known all around this community. Brilliant job!” -Swoon Worthy Book Blog

“I haven’t had a book hangover in so long and after reading Hopeless Vows, I did. This book is beyond good.” -Joanne Schwehm, author of the Prescott Series

“What did I think? I’m honestly not sure I can convey what I think right now. I feel like no matter what words I put down that it won’t do this book justice.” – Books, Chocolate, and Lipgloss

“Jillian and Austin literally sizzled on the pages. The chemistry was palpable. The characters were well-developed and the plot was so much more than I thought it would be.” -Casey L. Bond, author of The Sin Series

“I love the way her writing balances sexiness, humor and hurt, and I find myself able to relate to her characters, no matter how outlandish or unconventional their circumstances.” -Give Me Books

“As an author, it’s hard for me to find a book that is unpredictable for me. Usually, I can see twists and turns coming from a mile away, but Rachael had a couple for me I never saw coming.” -JB McGee, Best Selling Author

The longer this experiment goes on, the more I fall for him, and the more the deceit eats at me. When I lie awake some nights, it crawls up my body, tickling my skin, reminding me that underneath, I’m a horrible human being.

Deceitful.

Cowardly.

Manipulative.

Selfish.

All negative adjectives, and all describe me.

He’ll never find out, taunts an inner voice. What’s worse is that it also tells me it’s okay to keep this from him. That the two of us can live out this fantasy unscathed and content. As delusional as my inner voice is, I find myself clinging to it like a leech, feasting on the lie.

Rachael Duncan is an Army wife to her amazing husband, Steven, and mother to their beautiful daughters, Natalie and Zoe. She grew up in Nashville, Tennessee and went off to graduate from the University of Tennessee with a bachelor’s degree in political science. With initial plans to work in politics, she moved to Washington, D.C. and worked on Capitol Hill for a House Representative. After a short time, she realized it wasn’t for her and began pursuing other careers until she started writing.